


Accursed Spring

by Magical_Alpha



Series: Ibon's Wrath [2]
Category: Night In The Woods (Video Game)
Genre: Blood and Gore, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Demonic Possession, Demons, Gods, IT GETS SO MUCH WORSE, It Gets Worse, Multi, Non-Canonical Violence, Original Plot Elements, Sequel, Weird Plot Shit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-15 07:48:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29432688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magical_Alpha/pseuds/Magical_Alpha
Summary: It had been two months since Mae and her friends escaped Possum Springs to restart their lives in Bright Harbor. The temperatures were finally raising in the late February environment, the relentless cold giving way to temperate - if slightly chilly - afternoons. The band had endured a weird Autumn and a much stranger Winter, but it was looking like things were finally looking up for them... Until...
Relationships: Angus Delaney/Greggory Lee, Mae Borowski/Original Character(s)
Series: Ibon's Wrath [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2149284
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	1. Grace Period End

Mae gripped the wooden baseball bat with one hand. This very bar of solid wood had kept her and some of her friends safe in the past, at the expense of the integrity of some people's skulls. But that didn't matter now. With a slow, deep breath in, the midnight blue feline joined her hands together to two-hand grip the weapon before reeling back, raising the bat up above her head and then slamming it down.  
A small pumpkin that had been carved at the top and filled with deep red fake blood was the victim of this attack. A good portion of the orange exterior ruptured into pieces as the fake blood and mushy pumpkin interior gushed out onto the asphalt below, some of it coating the end of Mae's bat as a satisfying _'Splat'_ could be heard.  
"Woo!" Lori M. cheered from the side as she watched the display. The two of them had decided to check out an abandoned parking lot in the outskirts of the city. Not as big as the lot in Possum Springs next to the Food Donkey, but it still gave them plenty of privacy to bash the living hell out of some blood-filled produce. It was late afternoon at this point as quite a few packets of that fake blood now littered the lot, some of them having been bashed open. "God, that looks gruesome," the mouse commented on the broken vegetable, inspecting the work closer. The mouse was clad in a dark bluish grey hoodie with a white shirt underneath, which went well with her grey fur.  
"Heh. Yeah," Mae replied. It did look pretty gross to her, with some of the blood dripping off the bat and down the undamaged sides of the pumpkin. Nothing could truly compare to the real thing, though... But she tried to keep any memories of seeing extensive amounts of real blood to the deep reaches of her mind. The feline set the bat down before pulling the white handkerchief out of her pocket to clean the bat off with, making sure her tan long-sleeve shirt didn't have anything splattered on it as she discarded the now reddened cloth. "Phew. Alright kid, we should get home before it gets too late," Mae spoke up.  
"What, we're not gonna clean this up?" Lori questioned with a raised brow.  
"Nah. If anyone wanders by here, they'll just have to wonder what the hell happened."  
"Fair," the mouse shrugged as the two of them walked away, making their way back toward the apartment they were now living in. The sun was beginning to set into the horizon, the sunlight getting dimmer on the land and the shadows extending outward. The air around the two was getting considerably chilly. "Hey, Mae?" Lori called, getting the cat's half ear to flick as she curiously looked back toward her as they walked toward the complex. "You don't, uh... You don't like, secretly hate me. Do you?"  
"Wh-?" Mae questioned. "Lori, why would I..." she suddenly realized why this was being asked. The incident in the train station two months back, and what happened in the mines with Bea. "No. C'mon, kid, I'm not... gonna hate you for something that wasn't your fault. There wasn't much more that could be done."  
"... Alright," Lori replied. But the truth was, she was dissatisfied with that answer. She felt as if she deserved to be hated, felt as if had just done something different - or done anything at all... But no matter what reason she'd give, Mae would assure the teen that she shouldn't beat herself up about it.

The two eventually got back to their apartment, giving a quick knock before opening the front door. It... wasn't the best, but it was better than nothing. A living room with a kitchen next to it, and a hallway leading to a bathroom and two bedrooms. Within the living room, the white fox Kari looked up from her small laptop on the couch and waved with a friendly "Welcome back. You two have fun?"  
"Heck yeah," Mae replied, mustering some enthusiasm after that chat with the teen. She did have fun, after all, mutilating a poor innocent vegetable. She propped the bat on the wall next to the front door.  
"Nothing illegal, right?" Kari questioned.  
"Kari..." Mae started.  
"Tell me."  
"... Not really? Other than maybe littering, but it was all in an abandoned space. We're not going to get in trouble again."  
"We better not. Mae, we're both basically mothers to Lori now, you can't be getting her involved in these kinds of things," Kari scolded.  
"You're like a mother. I'm like the cool dad everyone wishes they had, who takes his kid out fishing and hunting."  
"And petty crime!" the fox snapped.  
"Both of you! Geez!" Lori piped up. "It's okay. We had fun today and we're not gonna get in any trouble. That's, like, all that matters." The mouse sighed. "I'm... Gonna go take a shower," she excused herself, walking off into the bathroom.  
"... Sorry," Kari apologized to Mae. "It's just... We can't risk anything. I don't want anything bad happening to you or her, whether it be you get arrested or harmed."  
"It's fine. It's just, I'm trying to seek out some real fun, take my mind off of everything that happened. And the kid, she's just all for it," Mae explained. "Sorry for making you worry."  
"It's okay. Just... dial it down, will you?" Kari suggested as Mae sat down next to her on the soft jade color sofa. The two could hear the shower beginning to run, meaning they had plenty of privacy...  
"Hey Kari? You know I love you, right?" the cat asked with a smile. This easily coaxed a smile out of the white fox beside her.   
"Of course," Kari responded, her expression warming up more as Mae carefully wrapped her arms around the fox. "I love you too..." she spoke softly, returning the hug as they both closed their eyes and went in to connect their lips.

Meanwhile, in a multi-story apartment building... "Ugh! There is nothing good on!" complained an irked Gregg as he scrolled through a seemingly endless list of channels on the TV menu.  
"Thiiis is why I stick to VidPipe, bug," the fox's bear boyfriend Angus told him casually, looking at social media feeds on his phone. Gregg sighed before putting the remote down. Their apartment was quite small, with only one bedroom and bathroom next to the living room, with a pretty small kitchen and bar off to the side. But it was alright, as it let them share a bed. Speaking of bed...  
"Whatevs. I'm gonna hit the hay, cap'n," Gregg announced as he got up.  
"Alright. I'll be with ya in just a bit," Angus replied as the fox got to the bedroom. The TV was still on, but all Angus did was lower the volume slightly as he soon also got up and made for the bedroom. It provided for some ambient noise, which oddly enough helped the bear sleep. Gregg never seemed to mind anyways.

... Except, tonight Gregg couldn't seem to get himself to sleep. Could likely be cause he had little to do that day and had kept himself caffeinated for... whatever reason. Regardless, he sighed lightly as he sat up, carefully moving as to not disturb the sleeping bear next to him as he checked his phone. The phone screen lit up, causing Gregg's eye to squint as he read the time. 1:32 A.M. "Goddamn..." the fox muttered as he got up and off the bed, only in a pair of red boxers. His sensitive ears were picking up on the reality show playing from the living room. Maybe that needed to go for tonight.  
The undies-clad fox walked out of the room and into the living room where the TV lit up its surroundings in a variety of colors. Gregg picked up the remote and was about to press the power off button when the screen suddenly became black, with white text appearing, telling that this was something from the Emergency Alert System and a 'Civil danger warning'. This was accompanied by a series of loud blaring noises.  
After the alarm-like noises concluded, the full message was said out with a slightly robotic male voice. _"The following message is transmitted at the request of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. From the hours of 10 P.M. to 1 A.M., numerous reports have come in regarding residents of Bright Harbor county, Deep Hollow county, and Fort Lucenne county suddenly becoming incredibly hostile and unresponsive to attempts to communicate. The cause is currently unknown. Authorities advise residents to barricade themselves within their homes, and do not attempt to make contact with any persons who may seem aloof or aggressive."_  
This was followed by a shorter series of blares.  
... What?  
Gregg stared with his one eye widened at the screen as this alert repeated itself. No, no, no, no nonononono... This could not be happening. This could not be happening. The fox rushed back into the bedroom, quickly slipping on a grey undershirt and a pair of pants before he started to shake the sleeping Angus on the large bed. "Angus. Angus," he called out as the bear sleepily opened his eyes with a sorta confused grunt. "You gotta get up, we have a situation," Gregg informed, his voice laced with a tinge of panic.  
"Whh..." Angus groaned as he sat up, rubbing his eyes before getting his glasses on from the small table beside the bed, putting them on to mitigate his blurry vision. "What's going on...?" he asked groggily, getting himself to stand as Gregg hastefully got back to the living room, the bear following behind. From there, Angus could hear the message that was being transmitted. Incredibly hostile... Unresponsive to communication... Deep Hollow county... Wait. "H-Huh?"  
"Yeah. They're... They're effing back," Gregg informed worriedly.  
"But how? We..."  
"I don't ffff-! I... I dunno," the fox answered. Just then, the two of them heard a loud thump from outside. Looking over, they could see a light blue bird man with those cursed bloodshot eyes looking straight at them, his body pressed against the window. "Shit."

...  
"... Sooo, you named him Rabies?"  
An orange cat girl in a thin navy blue jacket asked the dark turquoise bird next to her, the two of them chatting near a subway tunnel entrance in the city.  
"Yep. Named him after something that the other possums fear, so the others would respect him," the bird answered.  
"Huh. You're... You're interesting, Germ."  
"I'll take that as a compliment, Mars," Germ replied. The feline's full name was Martha Norris, but she always thought that Martha was an old lady's name, so she just went by the nickname Mars. She had been on her way home after a night of exploration and other antics in the city when she bumped into Germ, and the two actually started talking and quickly seemed to become friends.  
"Oh it is, I like interesting people. Alright man, I really should be getting back home," Mars excused herself, seeing it was way past midnight at this point. "I'll shoot you a message tomorrow."  
"Sounds good. Seeya," Germ waved off as the cat began walking toward her yellow-painted truck. But just then, a white sedan suddenly swerved around a street corner, its tires screeching as it sped toward the parked truck. Mars had to jump back as the car suddenly slammed head-on into the side of the truck in a loud crash, with windshields shattering and exterior parts of the vehicles bending and snapping. Mars panted at the sight, hearing her own truck's alarm go off.  
"What the fuck!?" the feline demanded as the driver of the white sedan stumbled out of the car. Mars was about to storm over to the spotted dog man who had crashed, but then she noticed that the dog's eyes were very bloodshot. Was he... high? No, it couldn't be that, he seemed to be acting... feral. High people are usually very mellow. "... S-Sir?" Mars called out, only receiving a guttural growl from the canine in response as his body jerked into action and he started to approach her with an uneven gait.  
Seeing this, Mars reached into the back of her waistband, whipping out a black, boxy handgun that had been concealed in a holster. "G-...Get back..." the feline warned, racking the slide. She didn't want to shoot anybody, but... Unfortunately, the feral-acting man suddenly bolted towards her as she raised the gun.

The shot rang out all along the block.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome! For a while I really considered just letting the group live in peace after Stranger Winter lol.
> 
> (idk how accurate or believable the EAS message was i just kinda winged it)


	2. Casey Hartley

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the harrowing realization that they are no longer safe, Mae and her friends make a plan to make a safe haven for themselves. Meanwhile, a long missing person returns to the land of the living.

Mae awoke with a start, her breathing sharp as she quickly sat up on the bed. 'The heck...?' she pondered, looking around and seeing that she was in the safety of her bedroom with Kari sleeping beside her. The streetlights from outside bled slightly into the room through the window, casting it in a dim yellow. The feline felt like something was... off. It didn't help that she could hear plenty of police sirens, and a lot of them. She slowly got up, the covers slipping off of her to reveal her in maroon underwear covering her chest and groin. She at least got a reddish tan shirt with a null symbol on the front on before making her way toward the bathroom, and the moment she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she froze up.  
Her eyes, normally a sharp red, now glowed blue with bright violet pupils. Said pupils shrunks and quivered at the sight. This glow, wasn't it the same as when she really tapped into the powers of the Glimmer...? But that all went away when she killed Ibon. Didn't it? Just as she was questioning this, the glow seemed to dissipate right then, returning her eyes to their normal red. "What... the...?"  
Just then, she could faintly hear her phone vibrating from her bedroom. Getting back to the room, she saw that she was getting a call from Gregg. She also saw that was now 1:46 A.M. Slightly confused, she answered, putting the phone up to her halved ear. "Hello?"  
"Mae, hey, we-we've got a problem," Gregg spoke hurriedly. "It's... It's happening again. We're on our way to your place, are there any Afflicted outside?"  
The feline froze up again, trying to process what she had just heard.  
"... Mae?"  
"H-Hold on, let me check," she answered, checking between the blinds on the window before going to the living room to do the same there. "Looks clear. Oh god, why is...?"  
"I dunno, but we need to all get together and figure out what we're going to do. I'll see you in a bit, alright?" Gregg assured.  
"Alright. Stay safe dude."  
With that, Gregg hung up, soon to arrive with Angus to the other apartment.

Meanwhile, back near Possum Springs...  
"Oh, god...damnit!" The sweatshirt-clad feline would swear as his sleeve was snagged on a sharp tree branch. The wood had managed to stab through the black sleeve as Casey impatiently pulled his arm back hard. A ripping sound could be heard as the branch tore from the middle of the sleeve down to the end, freeing the orange cat. With a sigh, he inspected the damage, seeing that the long tear had exposed his forearm, revealing a black, rectangular marking upon his fur. He looked at it for only a moment before continuing back towards the town. It had been an... interesting couple of months for Casey Hartley. He had spent a lot of time going back and forth between the town and the forest.  
\---  
After Ibon was defeated, Casey would suddenly find himself waking up deep within the coal mine. His body was very stiff, as if it hadn't been used in over a year... Which... That was essentially the case. Eventually he'd limber up and muster the strength to walk out of the cave and into the open air. He was alive again, and although he wasn't aware of what had happened aside from Ibon's 'death', he found solace in the idea of returning home and reconnecting with friends. That was... Until he returned to the town and witnessed the aftermath of a week's worth of destruction and chaos. Stumbling into Towne Centre, he mostly found broken windows and spots of blood, with some people here and there trying to clean up. As he made his way along the sidewalk beside Centre Ave., he'd spot a tan-furred goat in a rather dark jacket with glasses over her face. She was standing in front of the now broken in building of the Taco Buck, and Casey could've sworn he'd seen her somewhere before. Highschool, very likely. After pondering for a moment, trying not to seem like he was staring, his mind finally caught on.  
"Jackie?" he called out, catching the full attention of the goat as he walked over. "That you?"  
"Casey?" the goat seemed surprised to see him. "Wha- Where- Oh geez, things just keep getting weirder around here. You've been missing for a year! Missing posters and all, and now you just show up?" she questioned.  
"Uh... It's kind of a long story. I'll have to explain later, for now I'm wondering what the hell happened here."  
"Oh god. If you really skipped town and are just coming back, you picked a bad time. Over the last half week, half the effing town just went insane. It was... Oh god..." Jackie explained. "But I think things have... gone back to normal? As normal as they could be at least."  
Casey stood with his mouth slightly agape. Something in the back of his mind told him that the Black Goat he had involuntarily met a year ago was behind this mess, and now that it was dead, it was over. But how could Casey explain that he's met the Goat? She wouldn't believe a word. "Uh... Geez," was all he could get out in response. "Have you uh, have you seen Mae or Gregg anywhere? Angus? Bea?"  
"They're likely gone, man. And, I don't want to come off as rude, but you probably wanna get back out to wherever you went off to."  
"I... I see. Well, what are you doing, sticking around?"  
"Waiting for some Mike dude to show up, we've been helping each other ever since his daughter went missing during the whole mess."  
"Ah. A-Alright, I suppose I'm off then," Casey awkwardly waved Jackie off as he walked off. There was... a lot for him to catch up on.  
\---  
As Casey was just about to get to the treeline to exit the forest, his train of thoughts about the past were suddenly cut off as he heard a footstep in the grass beside him. He snapped his attention toward it, turning his head and seeing an older cyan-feathered bird man with a grey mustache, adorning a utility belt and a muted red jacket with a flannel underneath. "Welcome back," the bird greeted. "You've got a long night ahead of you, son." He had an upside-down bottle of Fiascola in his hand, and there was a hole where the bottom of the can was. "I got a little something for your troubles," he said, handing the brisk cola over to the feline.  
"Thanks," Casey accepted it, feeling the cold of the drink seep through the aluminum and into his palm as he took a sip. "So, I guess you know as well. He's woken back up, and those guy who I assume were his followers are dead."  
"You reckon those boys knew? 'Bout us?" the older one inquired.  
"Can't see why else they'd sacrifice me, right when I was going to skip town. Maybe one of them was a Godwalker himself, who knows?" The feline decided to take a seat, leaning his back up on one of the numerous trees that had yet to regain their leaves. "Geez. What a mess... Hey Janitor, you have any idea where Mae Borowski or anyone who knows her might be? Been trying to find my friends and I'm scared to look for them out of town, and I... really hope they're not dead or anything."  
"Oh, that girl and a few of her friends are all over in Bright Harbor, son."  
"Oh wow, really? That's a hell of a move."  
"Yuppers. Oh, did you know that Mae has connections to Ibon? Bloodline connections, someone in her family made a blood pact with Him?" the janitor informed.  
"Uh... Holy shit, that's news to me. I... If she knew about that, she's as good at keeping secrets as we are." Casey's attention shifted slightly as he had a few thoughts linger in his mind before he looked back up at the Janitor. "Hey," he called, keeping the bird's attention. "If I manage to see Mae again... If things get as bad as I think they're going to with Ibon waking back up, I think the secret's gotta come out, about the Godwalkers."  
"I won't stop you. The world may end soon, so why keep anything a secret at this point?" the bird shrugged lightly.

...  
The front door of Mae and Kari's apartment swung open, revealing a panicked Gregg with his big bear boyfriend Angus, who looked like he was trying to be calm but was a tad fidgety. Mae was caught off-guard by just how sudden they came in, with a now barely awake Kari looking their way. It was clear she wasn't used to just suddenly waking up at nearly two in the morning. At least she had gotten normal clothes on and wasn't just in light pajamas. "Woah, could've knocked or somethin'," Mae said.  
"Sorry. Just kinda freaked out right now," Gregg replied, getting the door closed after the two got in.  
"What's going on...?" Kari questioned sleepily.  
"It's back. We don't know how, but that stuff that made everyone crazy in Possum Springs is back, and it's spread all along the area, and it's here," Angus explained as straightforwardly as he could.  
Kari's eyes quickly lose their sleepy complexion, widening at the news. "Wha?"  
"Not to make things worse, but..." Mae started, "Remember that time my eyes glowed? Cause of the Glimmer and whatnot?"  
"Yeah?" Gregg answered.  
"Well, it happened again, just as I woke up."  
The yellow fox's eye widened, another layer being added to an already dreadful situation. He turned away with a hand going up to his face. "Ohh, this is just effing great. That really likely means--"  
Before he could finish his statement, all four of them heard the loud sound of glass shattering from one of the bedrooms, followed by a high-pitched, terrified shriek. It came from Lori's room. "Oh, shit, Lori!" Mae called out as she rushed toward the room, swinging the door open. Inside, she could see a startled mouse teen on her bed looking at the crazed lizard person who had crashed through the window, leaving shards of glass on the ground. Mae was about to go in to apprehend this, but was quickly moved aside as Angus instead rushed in, using his large size to tackle the aggressor back onto a wall. The reptile tried to fight back, but quickly found himself subdued as Angus pressed on his neck, causing him to quickly pass out.  
The lizard dropped down as Angus let him go. Angus huffed lightly, his own body strangely feeling heavier. "Damnit, I was really hoping I wouldn't have to do that again..." he admitted.  
"W-What the-?" Lori questioned, her own breath heavy.  
"We'll explain later, we have to get the hell out of here, it's not safe here anymore," Gregg ushered as the mouse got up, nervously stepping away from the unconscious lizard and toward the rest of the group.  
"Where are we going to go?" Kari questioned.  
"Could cross the bridge to get across the bay. Germ's place is across there anyways, so we could swing by and get him with us," the yellow fox mentioned.  
"There's also the big aquarium. It's closed by now, so we could probably sneak in and use it as a shelter," Mae pitched in. "I'd rather take my chances with that rather than another underground tunnel..."  
"We were meaning to go there anyways. Guess... This is our chance?" Kari brought up, more so to just lighten the panicked mood that had set in.  
"We should get going before we're attacked again," Angus mentioned. With that, the five of them got ready to head out into the brisk night air, the streetlamps being their source of light as they began their way westward toward a nearby bridge.


	3. Aquatic Safe Haven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mae and co. get across the bay and into the Bright Harbor Aquarium, meeting up with Germ and his new friend. Meanwhile, Casey returns to his old home.

"Oh god... O-Oh god, I effing shot him..."  
The cat lady that Germ was with, Mars, panted as the two of them hid in an alleyway between two moderately tall brick buildings. Mars' hands shook as she found herself still in shock from having taken the shot minutes prior.  
"Hey, c'mon Mars. It's alright, you were panicked and he was going to attack you," Germ consoled. He seemed oddly calm about the situation, as if he's gone through something like this before... Which is entirely the case. Internally, his mind scrambled to come up with a reason people were going mad and attacking others again, just like back in Possum Springs.  
"I... I guess. What the hell's going on around here?" Mars wondered as the two could hear police sirens and distant gunshots ringing out. Thankfully they were safe in their secluded alleyway, but Mars had a dreadful feeling that this safety would not last forever. The feline let out a breath, trying to collect her mind and regain her focus. "We need to get somewhere safe, but my place is at least an hour walk from here. My truck... Well, you saw what happened."  
"We could try to get together with my other friends, figure something out from there," Germ suggested, pulling out a rather old-looking cellphone. "I'll ask them where they are."  
"Safety in numbers, got it."

Gregg's phone suddenly rang, a cheery tone emanating from his pocket. His eye widened as he quickly whipped the phone out, seeing that Germ was calling him as he answered. "Germ??"  
The fox and his friends were approaching the bridge that spanned across the bay, a rather long road suspended above water. The entire neighborhood was quickly devolving to chaos, with people rushing either into or out of their homes. Some of them were manic, others were struck panic-stricken.  
"Hey, where are you? I'm gonna try to get to you so we can figure out what we're gonna do here," Germ calmly explained.  
"Well, we're about to cross the East Bay Bridge. Me and the others, we're all gonna try to break into the aquarium and hold out there. If you can get there before us, then uh, do that and we'll reach you when we can," the fox said.  
"Get to the aquarium? Uh, yeah sure why not," Germ casually replied. "I'll see you there then."  
The two of them said a short goodbye before Gregg hung up. In his group, Mae stuck back a tad bit to keep her friends in front of him. The feline was afraid of having those hallucinations start now, but keeping everyone she knew in her view like this helped her out in that regard. Before she knew it, her boots began to tread on the bridge's sidewalk. Light grey steel arches stretched out beyond the group as they walked the greyish tan strip beside the road. To their left, there were a load of cars stuck bumper to bumper, an array of sharp honks blaring out from a lot of the vehicles.  
"Hey, come on, what the hell is holding us up, we gotta go!" Shouted one impatient brick-colored wolf man as he leaned out of the side window of his black sedan. But just then, the stranger would find his attention caught by the view of a blue rabid-looking rabbit person in a green hoodie climbing atop one of the cars to his left. The rabbit spotted the wolf stranger, and before the wolf could react he found himself being battered and bitten by the aggressor. Mae and her friends saw the wolf being attacked in his own car up ahead, and immediately Gregg and Angus rushed forward, with Gregg managing to get a hold of the rabbit from behind. "I got this!" the fox assured, even as he struggled against the rabbit's intense flailing. Suddenly, the rabit one threw his head back, bashing Gregg's face with it and causing him to let go as he fell back.  
The freedom would be short lived though as Angus quickly stepped in and dragged the rabbit off of the road and near the railed edge of the bridge before he turned the aggressor around and held him from behind. The rabbit was quite small, so it was easy to get him in a choke hold and knock him out before gently laying him propped up against the railing. The red wolf that had been attacked suddenly exited his car in a panic, not even taking the time to speak a word of thanks or close his door as he rushed away from the scene.  
"Hey! Come back! You'd be safer inside--" Mae tried to call out, but it was no use as the stranger kept running across the bridge.  
Kari got over to Gregg as he rubbed his snout sorely. "You okay?" she asked, receiving a thumbs up in response from the orange fox as he got back up on his feet. "We gotta get going," Kari ushered as they continued on the bridge's sidewalk.

The group would continue across the bridge until they reached the other side. The aquarium was only a few more blocks down, and they advanced forwards towards it, keeping an eye at every corner and opening that could lead to an attack. They were experienced at this by now, more experienced than they could've ever wished to be.  
Eventually, they would reach a clearing in the buildings, with the aquarium near the shore visible to them. With Angus leading the group, they all headed toward the large building, crossing the nearly empty parking lot which had a small amusement park next to it. Everything was closed down, as it was nearing 2 in the morning and everything was only illuminated by bright amber streetlamps. Gregg's eye widened when he noticed a pair of individuals, a short bird with a hat and a slightly taller feline beside him, both behind one of the building's wide windows. "Hey! Germ!" Gregg called out with a wave of his arm.  
The group gathered in front of one of the aquarium's doors, with Germ unlocking a door and letting them in. "Long time no see, Jeremy," Kari spoke up.  
"Likewise," Germ nodded. "Everyone, this is Mars," he leaned slightly toward the carrot-orange feline lady at his side. "We met a few weeks ago, been talking off and on here and there. And now here we are."  
"Is he always this, er... Casual about dangerous stuff?" Mars questioned.  
"Sorta?" Mae answered sort of unsurely. She's seen Germ panic at least once during the Possum Springs incident. Other than that, it seemed like not even getting shot phased him that much. The whole group moved away from the front of the building as everyone introduced themselves to Mars. After a few minutes, the group members would find quite places to lay down and try to rest up, seeing as it was now past 2 AM. They were all so tired by now, especially after having to run for safety.

Gregg and Angus laid side-by-side in one of the exhibit's hallways, with windows on either side peering into fish tanks showing off specific species of aquatic wildlife. The two of them had gone as far as to use fish plushies from the gift shop as cushions for their heads. "Pretty fishies," Gregg commented, getting a chuckle out of the bear next to him.  
"They are quite pretty, yes. Aquatic life is simply... beautiful," Angus replied. His glasses lay folded next to him as he was ready to sleep. His brown eyes were rarely ever seen without the glasses over them.  
"Not as beautiful as you, Cap'n..." the fox said with a light smile.  
"Oh, Bug..." Angus' cheeks flushed a bit as the two of them moved a hand to hold on to one another.  
"Have I mentioned that I love you?"  
"Many times, yeah."  
"Well, what's one more gonna hurt? Love you, Angus," the fox smiled bright.  
"Love you too, Gregg," Angus returned, also smiling happily as he closed his eyes. "G'night."

"... So, what _is_ going on, Germ?" Meanwhile, in a different part of the building, Mars and Germ were laying down close to each other. "You really look like this isn't your first time with something like this."  
"Have you heard of the Possum Springs Incident? Mass cases of assault, battery, all kinds of violence leading to the town basically being destroyed?" Germ answered the question with another. The bird had kept his old home town a secret, simply referring to it as 'the town' or 'my old home,' but now it seems like it had to come out.  
"Yeah?"  
"Well... I was in Possum Springs when it happened. That's why me and my friends are in Bright Harbor. And... The news doesn't tell everything. But I'll tell you more later, it's a lot to take in."  
"So, what you're saying is the same thing that happened in Possum Springs is happening here now?" Mars seemed slightly confused, having an eyebrow raised.  
"That's what I'm thinking. And the cause of it is... Bear with me here, it's likely that the big evil creature that started all this wasn't killed like we thought. Just a theory."  
"... I... Yeah y'know what let's just talk more about it when we wait up," the cat decided, getting as comfy as she could on the hard floor and closing her amber eyes. "This is gonna suck..." she mumbled. "G'night, Germ."

...  
Casey could hear an array of crickets as he stood in front of his old house. Many of the windows were broken in, and the front door swayed unhinged. The house was in a rather peaceful neighborhood, on Maple Street, almost straight across the street from Mae's place. Mae was nowhere to be found. His own parents were nowhere to be found. The feline closed his eyes with a drawn-out breath through the nose.  
\---  
"Mom...? Dad...? I'm, uh, I'm back," the cat called out as he stepped past the broken door into the house. After talking with Jackie, he had made his way back home to see if he could find any of his friends or family. No such luck. "Anyone here?" No response. His parents weren't home, it seemed. Maybe they escaped, got out of town. Survived. If that was the case, the feline at least hoped they kept him in mind. His home like was never the best, his parents could come off as quite strict. Even then, he knew they definitely cared about him. But, his thoughts were interrupted by an acrid stench, and that's when he saw spots of dried blood littered along the floor leading into the kitchen. With his green eyes widening, he stepped slowly towards the kitchen, his breathing hitching slightly with dread. When he rounded the corner, he'd see two orange feline figures, one male and one female, practically torn apart at the abdomen and left alone like that. The male one had a light brown dress shirt while the female one had a tie-dye shirt... Although much of their attire was now torn and covered in a dark crimson.  
Casey gasped at the sight, both hands going up to his mouth as his pupils shrunk to pinpoints. His knees felt weak before his legs buckled. He was unable to speak at all, only staring silently as he shook.  
\---  
The feline now stood at the doorway of that exact kitchen. Much of the blood had been cleaned up, although some stains remained smeared on the floor. The bodies were gone, having been buried some time ago. Casey felt as if they deserved a more proper burial, but what can you do in a destroyed town like this anyways? But, just as he was feeling this deep feeling of grief and despair swallow him up yet again, he felt something graze his foot. Jumping slightly, he looked down to see a lone possum by his right foot, holding two wrapped up candy bars in its mouth.  
"Oh, u-uhh... H-Hello?" One of Casey's eyebrows raised as he tried to keep his voice from shaking, not to much avail. The cat wiped his eyes dry before squatting down to get a closer look at the little critter. "You lost? What'cha got there?" he asked before the possum dropped one of the candy bars on the ground. "...For me?" Casey asked, only getting a stare from the creature's beady eyes. There was something oddly familiar about this critter. Casey thought on it as he picked up the treat that was left for him. Didn't Germ have, like, a pet baby possum or something? "... Hold on a sec..." Casey remembered. "Rabies?"  
This seemed to incite an excited reaction from the critter as it moved closer to the feline before climbing up his back and peering over his shoulder. "That is you, isn't it lil guy? Geez, you've grown up, and you still somehow recognize me," Casey chuckled. It had been over a year since he last saw the possum, after all. "Ey, I'm gonna try to get some sleep, alright?" the cat spoke before Rabies hopped off his back. The critter took this time to unwrap the second candy bar he was holding. Casey couldn't help but chuckle. "You enjoy that, lil guy. G'night." With that, Casey headed over into his room, and onto his bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Sorry for the long wait, but I have good news! I've set up a Discord server for the Ibon's Wrath series project! A place to either discuss the series, or just chat up and hang out with other fans.
> 
> https://discord.gg/SkHvPxzC


	4. Unpleasant Resurgence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aquarium is overrun, forcing the group to evacuate, and Mae is rendered unconscious. While Mae is out, she begins to piece something together...

Mae floated face-up in a vibrant neon blue sea that appeared to stretch out forever in any direction, with her face and chest poking out of the water and her shirt billowing slightly from buoyancy. Her own body emanated a similar blue glow, with her red pupils now glowing a bright violet.  
"... Why am I here...?"  
The words barely sounded, barely felt like they came from Mae. "Hello?" she called out as she gathered her bearings. The feline positioned herself upright before placing the palms of her hands on the water's surface. Just then, it felt like that part of the surface of solid, allowing her to climb up and sit atop the blue water. "Corvin? Tollmetron? ... Anyone?" Mae spoke out. No response. She was alone. But, as she continued to sit by herself, she suddenly heard a voice call to her.  
"Mae..."  
The voice was low, had a cold feel to it. Feminine... familiar. And on top of that, it somehow didn't seem to have a specific source. It was as if it were everywhere, or even in her head. Mae looked around on both sides, not seeing anyone.  
"Mae."  
"Hello??" the cat cried out. She swore she recognized that voice. It had to be..."B...B-Bea--??"

"Mae!"  
The dark blue cat awoke with a start as Kari shook her. As it would turn out, Kari had been calling out to wake Mae up, and it seemed to finally work.  
"Wha?" questioned the startled feline. Her mind was still catching up with the fact that she was in the aquarium's fresh water exhibit hallway and not some vast glowing sea.  
"You were fidgeting in your sleep. Were you...? You were having a nightmare, weren't you?" the fox asked as Mae sat up sorely.  
"Uh... Not really a nightmare? Like, for most of it, it felt like I was floating in some ocean, all by myself. It was oddly serene..."  
"Ohhh no. I could not deal with that. No. No way," Kari shook her head. "Aquatic life is beautiful, but the ocean itself is just..." the fox shuddered. "But, go on."  
Mae cleared her throat. "Um. So anyways, after a bit, I heard this voice. It uh, it sounded like Bea. At least I think it did, maybe my mind's just trying to fill in the gaps."  
"Huh..." Kari wasn't sure what to say. "Say. You said that sometimes in your dreams, you go into that astral realm? A place of spirits and gods?" she recalled, the pair having talked about this before after the whole group moved to Bright Harbor. "Maybe you could eventually see her there."  
"Maybe. I... I dunno," the feline replied lowly. "... I miss her, dude."  
"I do too, Maemae. If you do see her in one of your 'dreams', make sure to tell her I say hello."  
"Oh trust me, I'll have to say hello for everyone's sake. When I see her, I mean. For now..."  
The two of them were looking each other in the eyes, Kari's sky blue eyes gazing deeply into Mae's deep red. This place, especially this hallway with large fish tanks had a peaceful atmosphere, and it didn't seem like anyone else was around, so they could take this moment to enjoy each other's presence. Whatever was going on in the outside world no longer mattered to them.  
But, their moment of intimacy was very suddenly interrupted by a distant sound of glass shattering at the front of the aquarium building. Followed by Mars shouting out "Shit, he's got in!"

Mars, Germ and Lori were in the front lobby-like area of the building, with the orange feline having slipped the handgun out of its holster again. A brownish-grey goat man had crashed through one of the broad front windows and fallen over as he got through into the building, with a few other manic Afflicted starting to pour in. Mars took aim and, just in time for the other four group members to enter the lobby, shot at one of them that was getting rather close. The loud crack and bang pierced the air around them, stinging everyone's ears as they backed up. "We need to get the hell out of here!" Mars shouted as the whole group back off, heading toward the back of the aquarium, quickly going around tanks and pools of fish-filled water. The berserk people behind them were worryingly swift, and some of them were now popping ceiling vent covers off and dropping down from them, adding to the crowd chasing them down. The group entered a wide room with a quite large tank of water containing a heterogeneity of fish. Off to the side, there was a door clearly labelled as an emergency exit. "Over there!" Gregg called out, with everyone starting to run over to the door as the Afflicted began pouring in through the double doors leading to that room.  
But, as they were running, they all heard a startlingly loud yell from one of the Afflicted, and it sounded like it was rapidly approaching. With her attention taken, Mae quickly looked back to see a quite bright grey ram person with a very swollen, crimson-hued left arm barreling straight towards her. The ram's bloodshot eyes met with Mae's own for only a second before the feline found much of her face encompassed by a red swollen hand and she was charged toward the water tank. Before she could even process any way to react, the back of her head was suddenly slammed against the transparent wall of the tank, causing quite a few cracks to appear. The feline's cry of pain was muffled by the hand that was holding onto her face before the ram quickly reeled back and slammed her head on the tank again.  
She barely felt her head hit the glass again. She was immediately knocked unconscious, her vision and sensation leaving her entirely. Before the Afflicted ram could slam her again, Gregg had already rushed up and stabbed him in the throat, causing him to drop Mae as he fell over. The cat fell limply as Mars fired at other incoming threats. Kari, Lori and Angus got to Mae and Gregg. "Mae! Mae!!" Kari cried out in a panic. "Mae, wake up!"  
"Damnit, she's out cold..." Angus muttered before he went over and picked the limp cat up, carrying her in his arms. "C'mon, let's go!" the bear ushered everyone out. As the emergency exit was opened, a loud alarm blared throughout the building, helping to disorient the Afflicted slightly as the group hurried out side. Once they were outside, Mars slammed the door shut, quickly grabbing a nearby barrel and moving it in front of the door, preventing it from opening entirely. Everyone caught their breath, looking around to see that they weren't being followed anymore, especially with the other Afflicted stuck at the back of the aquarium building.

Mars sighed out a shaky breath, looking down at her handgun and sliding the boxy magazine out, counting the rounds that were still in there. Three in the magazine, plus an extra that was still resting within the pistol's chamber. The orange feline inserted the magazine back up into the gun, a satisfying metallic click coming out as it connected.  
"M-Mae..." Kari's voice was quivering as Angus held the still unconscious Mae. "Is she...?"  
"She's still breathing. No open wounds, so... If she's lucky, all she's going to have is a concussion," Angus informed. "Well, another..."  
Kari did her best to keep herself composed, though she had a noticeable tremble as a sniffle escaped her. The fox suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder, looking off to her side to see Mars. "Hey, I'm sure she'll be fine. She's got all of y'all to look after her," the cat assured. "We just gotta find if any hospitals haven't been overrun by these... Er, crazy people? Zombies? Whatever's going on."

...  
"Maaaee..."  
Slowly but surely, Mae's vision would come back, although she saw that she was face-to-face with a familiar shark-shaped friend, in a backdrop of black with stars scattered about.  
"Sharkle...? Wait, you're...?" the feline pondered.  
"You have to get back to Possum Springs. The fate of the world rests on it."  
Whether or not Skarkle was real, or if this was just a weird hallucination or dream, didn't matter to Mae. She knew what she was hearing was true. "Possum Springs?"  
"Yes. Where your true destiny awaits. Get there, as quickly as possible. You know why all of this is happening, now it's time to find out how to stop it, for once and for all."  
...

"...P... Possum..." Back in reality, the group heard a faint, strained voice. Angus looked down at the cat he was carrying to see that she was slowly waking up.  
"Mae!" Gregg called out, with everyone stepping close to her and Angus. "Are you okay??"  
"Have to get... Back..." Mae spoke tiredly, dizzily as her head spun, the view of all of her friends around her all blurry and hazy. Try as she might to stay awake, she would end up passing back out, her eyes closing again.  
"Was... Was she saying to go to Possum Springs?" Mars asked.  
"Sounds like it," Gregg responded.  
"The heck, why?? Wasn't that place, like, completely trashed?" the orange feline questioned with a confused grunt. "Before we even think of going there, we should find that hospital I mentioned. I'm sure there's at least one that is saf--"

Mars didn't even get to finish her sentence. The other group members looked in horror as a boney white spike struck her head from above, penetrating through the skull and exiting out the other end. A few spots of blood splashed from the resulting wounds onto the ground in front of her as she let out a light yet guttural grunt. Her handgun slipped from her feigning grip before she silently fell to her knees, buckling forward onto the cement under her. "Mars!" Germ called out in shock, but his cry would not be answered as everyone else looked up toward the roof of the aquarium they had just escaped. What they saw struck further fear into their very cores.  
The thing that killed Beatrice, had just as swiftly ended Martha Norris, without a second thought. Those bulbous yellow eyes stared toward the group below it, its vertically split beak mouth sucking in and out a breath of air. Its red, fleshy body with tentacle legs and one tendril arm was all coated in a layer of oily liquid that occasionally dripped down.  
After a moment of stunned hesitation, Gregg rushed over and snatched the handgun that Mars had dropped, just in time to watch the freshy beast jump from the rooftop. The fox jumped back to avoid being landed on by the enemy before quickly taking aim and firing every round the gun still had. Four loud pops rang out throughout the block, with the first two bullets penetrating through the creature's chest, the third whizzing past the right of its body, and the fourth going right through its head. Thankfully, the triple dose of 9 millimeter was enough to make it fall over, no longer moving. On the other hand, the gun was now empty without any ammo to speak of, and all of those bangs ensured that every Afflicted in the area now knew of their presence.  
"Shit, we need to move," Angus informed worriedly. "I... I'm really sorry about Mars, but we're going to have to get out of here, ASAP."  
"We've gotta go westward," Kari suddenly spoke up.  
"Wha?" Gregg questioned briefly as the white fox look out west, toward the horizon... Toward that town. That damned town.  
"We're going back to Possum Springs."


	5. Road to Possum Springs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kari and co. begin their way to Possum Springs. Mae finally wakes up, but she's in bad shape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Formatting reminder: "..." before a paragraph is a big change in location/perspective, and "---" around a scene signifies a flashback.

Back in Possum Springs, within an abandoned office building in Towne Centre...  
"Ah, nice of you to actually show up," a dull brown fox man spoke. He had brown eyes and a black rectangular symbol tattooed on his forehead. He was wearing a neatly kept red jacket with a black undershirt. In front of him stood the Janitor, still clad in red plaid, but the pattern was different this time.  
"... Are we really having this discussion in the call center building, Hank?" The Janitor questioned. The pair were in an empty office-like room, although a few of the computers and other equipment were trashed and battered.  
"No one else is here. Now, listen up, you. You know exactly why this is happening, yes?" the fox pressured. "I never knew Skudder or Borowski personally, but I know enough to conclude that if Ibon gets a hold of and absorbs Borowski's soul like he had done with Skudder, the whole damn world as we know it will become his personal playground."  
"So what you're sayin' is..."  
"We're going to have to kill her, before Ibon is able to--"  
"You do realize Mae's in Bright Harbor, right?" the Janitor pointed out nonchalantly.  
"Oh, but you know she'll be back here soon enough. No one, not even Godwalkers can resist his call forever."

...  
Angus sat in the driver seat of the old grey sedan he had rented out some time after the group moved into the increasingly ravaged city. Beside him sat a still unconscious Mae on the cushioned seat, with Kari and Lori sitting in the two back seats. The car sat idle in the parking spot outside Gregg and Angus' apartment as they waited for Gregg and Germ to return with a motorcycle. Germ had voiced that he'd much rather use a bicycle, but a motorized vehicle would be better for keeping up with the car. Soon, the four within the enclosed car would hear a motorcycle engine approaching before a dark green motorbike pulled up next to them in the left adjacent parking spot, Germ on the driver seat and Gregg behind him. Angus rolled the window down, lowering the pane of glass between him and the motorized pair. "We ready?" the bird on the leather seat of the bike.  
"About as ready as we can be," Angus responded.  
"I would've thought Gregg would prefer driving the motorcycle?" Lori commented as she rolled down her own window.  
"Wish I could, but... one eye, kid," Gregg pointed out, his eyepatch still covering his wounded, useless eye. "It'd be too dangerous."  
"Oh, right," Lori responded.  
"Alright, let's get goi--" Germ spoke up, but stopped as he and the fox behind him spotted another yellowish orange fox clad in a maroon jacket, black-dyed denim jeans and a turqoise toque adorning her head, with her pointy ears poking up out the top. She also appeared to have a rather modern crossbow, holding it with one hand tucked around the grip, her index finger carefull pointed forward to stay clear of the trigger.  
"Gregg!" the fox called out, a hand coming up in a wide wave.  
"Jenna??" Gregg responded, his ears perking up. Angus, Lori and Kari also turned to see the new one as she rushed over toward the two vehicles. Jen's red eyes seemed wide with surprise, which made sense considering she had just found her cousin in the midst of the chaos happening around everyone. "What are you doing here?"  
"Checking up on you, dumbass, since you didn't answer my call this morning!" Jen snapped. Gregg's eye widened as he quickly reached into one of his pants pockets and pulled out his phone. Sure as the world, he had missed a call from Jen. Thinking back, Gregg was sure it was during the chase back at the aquarium.  
"Shit. Sorry..." Gregg sighed. This was far from the first time Gregg and Jen had seen each other ever since everyone moved to Bright Harbor. She knew about the missing eye for a while, but Gregg always abstained from explaining fully what happened to him.  
"I can't overstate your timing, Jen. We're getting ready to head out of here, over to Possum Springs," Angus explained.  
"... Wwwhy?" Jen asked with a raised eyebrow.  
"We'll explain later. You wanna come with?" the bear offered.  
The fox girl sighed lightly, "I don't see why not. Getting out of this fiasco wouldn't be a bad idea."  
"Well uh... we're kinda full up with the car, and having three people on the bike probably wouldn't be the best idea," Lori brought up, to which Jen looked toward the top of the car.  
"I got an idea."

The sedan rolled along the right side of the road heading out of the city, with the motorcycle following behind it, and Jen sitting atop the car itself. They all avoided the more central urban areas of Bright Harbor, having to go relatively slow in order to avoid the mess of crashed, abandoned cars on the road. There weren't many other vehicles actually being driven due to the sudden ravaged state of the city, leaving them mostly alone as they made their way westward.  
"... Kari?" Lori spoke up, one of the white fox's ears perking up.  
"Yeah?" the fox responded, looking over.  
"You've been really quiet..."  
"Oh. Sorry, just... Thinking. Tired."  
"Yeah, I understand that. Just checking up," the mouse said, giving a light smile. Kari returned a soft, caring smile in return. Even though the fox didn't want it to be, that smile was slightly forced. It had been a long few hours, and this wasn't going to end very soon. But still, whatever Mae needed to do in Possum Springs was likely salient, given her track record.  
\---  
"So, you really never knew about Ibon and all that until just then? About Ibon and the 'Glimmer'?" Kari questioned the feline, only a few days after they settled down in the small apartment. The two were sitting on the couch, the television generating some background noise as it displayed a slew of commercials. "Be honest with me."  
"Not entirely. I mean, I knew who Ibon was, I saw him as a constellation in a dream once, and I talked to him when I was down in those mines. But I never had any idea whether he was real or just some figment of my imagination. And the Glimmer, I... I had no idea," Mae explained.  
"I see," the fox responded, but she seemed slightly doubtful. She felt as if Mae possibly knew everything, but just kept it a secret until it was too late, and all was revealed by someone else.  
"Hey, let's not worry about it too much. It's over, alright?" Mae assured. "We made it, we're together, that's what counts."  
"Yeah. You're right, I was just trying to clear some things up is all."  
"Mhm. Well, I definitely... Have something to clear up," Mae blushed slightly, causing Kari to look on at her curiously with her pointed ears perking up. "I uh... I..." she stammered, "I love you," she managed to say. She wanted to come up with something better, maybe more romantic, but that's all that came out. The feline seemed quite shy about it, thinking perhaps she was going too fast and should've hold onto this until they could properly get more attached, or-  
Mae's mess of thoughts was caught off by a little giggle from Kari. "Mae, no need to be so shy," the fox comforted. "I was wanting to tell you that I love you ever since we moved. I just wasn't sure how you'd respond, but we seem to be on the same page. I love you too..."  
\---  
"Mae..." Kari said aloud.  
"... Uhh...?" the ones in the car would suddenly hear a low mumble from the front passenger seat, where Mae was sitting. The feline's eyes opened tiredly, having that strange glow to them for only a second as she woke up.  
"Mae??" the white fox called out.  
"Woah. You alright?" Angus pondered.  
"... I think I'm about to throw up," Mae warned. Her gut felt as tight as a vice grip, and there was a creeping sensation rolling up her throat... Without much warning, Angus suddenly veered to pull the car over to the side of the road. As soon as they were stopped, Mae undid her buckle, opened the door, and rushed out on shaky legs before leaning forward and involuntarily releasing her last meal onto the pavement. "E-Eugh..."  
"Well, looks like someone's stomach had a disagreement with her," Jen commented, scooting off the car and landing on the ground as Germ pulled up nearby.  
"Geez, you alright, man?" Gregg worried as Mae panted. She at least felt better in the stomach, although she was also experiencing a pounding pressure in her head.  
"I-I'm fine, don't worry... Hey, is that Jen?" Mae asked, spotting the fox girl.  
"You know her?" Gregg questioned.  
"We met at the top of the church hill once, few months ago. What's, uh... Where are we, anyway?" the feline asked, looking around.  
"The highway, we're getting back to Possum Springs like you said," Germ pointed out.  
"Possum Springs? When did I...?" the cat recalled her 'dream' she had with Sharkle a few hours prior. "Ah. Gotcha."  
"You should get back to resting up, we've got about 5 hours of riding ahead of us," Jen suggested. Mae gave a nod, stumbling back into the passenger seat and closing the door as the fox hopped back up, getting on top of the car. With that, the two vehicle convoy continued along its way.

"Mae?" Lori spoke up as the car was rolling down the wide road, getting clear of the city as it rode onto the interstate.  
"Yeah?" Mae responded tiredly.  
"What made you decide to go back? You're more knowledgeable about all the uh... God stuff, so..."  
"I kinda had this dream, or a vision, while I was out. But it felt, like, important? That's kinda all I can say without it getting weird, kid."  
"Mkay..."  
"Well, even then, we don't have much of a plan. We still need to find a way to get rid of whatever Ibon is for good," Kari pointed out. But Mae remained silent after that. The feline had a possible idea, but she felt like she'd rather save it as an absolute last resort.  
"... We'll figure something out," Mae said, trying to break the silence.  
The grey car and green motorcycle continued along its route, going down the nearly empty highway, a long drive to Possum Springs.

...  
"Keep it down, Rabies..." Casey whispered, keeping a hand on the possum that rested on his shoulder, not wanting any attention to be drawn towards him. The feline neared the long abandoned Food Donkey store in the outskirts of town. He had been avoiding Towne Centre, noting that some people seemed... off, even in the distance. Uneven strides, weird movements, other oddities like that. He knew what was going on, the Janitor explained the whole possession ordeal to him more than once. As he walked next to the side wall of the grocery store, he became lost in thought, approaching the front of the store before he suddenly heard footsteps from around the corner he was about to round. The feline's senses became sharp as he pushed his back against the wall, listening carefully. He glanced over towards the way he had just came, but there seemed to be some idle Afflicted that had congurated that way. Can't go back, and he wasn't sure if whoever or whatever was at the front of the store would be hostile or not. He couldn't afford to be wrong if that was the case... He brandished his claws, his only available weapon, and braced himself. With a steady breath in, he quickly rounded the corner to face whoever might be there, raising a hand up.


End file.
